Knightly Serenade
by Alviarin
Summary: Sequel to "Knightly Dance". When Aya has to face another demon from his past Youji makes a horrible mistake that could cost the swordsman both his freedom and what little remains of his heart. Ken and Omi try to support their friends as best they can, but all of Weiss is in for a rough ride. M/M, YAOI, SLASH.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **This story is the sequel to "Knightly Dance" and takes place about a month after the end of it. This story is definitely not canon, but its not a complete AU either. Its still Weiss, but with the character's backgrounds, ages, and personalities changed slightly. If I write the boys a little OOC, please forgive me. Oh and no hating please. I write these stories purely for my own amusement. I don't own Weiss Kreuz...unfortunately.

**Chapter One**

"Never going to happen." Aya growled staring Manx straight in the eye. The glare made her hesitate briefly before squaring her shoulders and she began to restate her case.

"You are the only choice Abyssinian. Bombay is too inexperienced with this type of mission. Balinese could never pull it off and Siberian doesn't have the right temperament. You-"

"I told you it will not happen. End of discussion." Aya turned his back on her. He could hear Youji laughing into his hands and Ken sniggering where he sat next to Omi on the couch. Even the teen couldn't hold back his mirth. They were all against him. He ground his teeth as he stalked up the stairs. Unfortunately that caused his three companions to drop all pretenses and laugh loudly. Fucking pricks. If the situation had been reversed none of them would be laughing. He heard Manx on the stairs behind him and swore under his breath.

"It's the only way to successfully carry out this mission Abyssinian. If we don't hit him at that party our target will get away and disappear for good. Will you please do this?" She grabbed his hand. "Please Aya-san." She whispered. Aya looked down at her searching her eyes for any kind of deception. What he saw surprised him. There was a softness in those ruby orbs. It was a side of her he had only seen once before and one that she showed to no one else. "He's killed so many children already...I-"

"Fine." He sighed. "I'll do it." Her face lit up in relief, "But you owe me for this." She nodded emphatically. He sighed again knowing he was going to regret this decision for the rest of his life. "Get the shit." He pulled his hand from hers and entered his room suppressing a groan.

* * *

Youji stood facing the stairs nervously. He was already in the tux he was to wear to the gala that night and felt constricted. Why men wore this crap was beyond him. It was impossible to sit down without wrinkling the fabric, but as much as he hated the damn costume he wouldn't give it up for anything. Not wearing the tux meant wearing the...his jaw dropped as Manx came down the stairs leading a gorgeous redhead and it took him a moment to recognize Aya beneath the getup he had been forced into wearing. It was a floor length black gown of shimmering rose embossed silk. Elbow length black lace gloves flowed up his slim arms fastened together with black silk ribbons crisscrossing up the inside of his forearms. Around his throat was a ribbon of silk and lace, the ends drifted down his exposed back. His violet eyes were lined in black and smoky silver and black shadow made them impossible to look away from until Youji's eyes moved to the shining, full crimson lips beneath them. His heart stopped and he wanted nothing more than to drag Aya into him and kiss those lips until they were swollen with his lust. He quickly looked away. "Jesus Christ, you look like a girl!" Ken exclaimed.

"That _was_ the point of this exercise was it not, Hidaka." Aya commented dryly. "Stop gawking Kudou. We're going to be late." He grabbed Youji's arm and began dragging the still speechless blonde towards the door.

"Don't forget to smile Aya-kun!" Manx called after them. Youji heard Aya mutter a few choice words before slamming the door and shoving Youji towards the limo waiting for them. He stumbled a few steps before recovering enough to open the door and help Aya into the back. To his surprise Aya slapped his hand away and slid in on his own.

"Get in dumbass and get your shit together. We aren't going to this party for fun. We must be on our guard at all times." Aya snarled. Youji snapped to attention at the tone in his voice and scrambled into the seat next to him. Aya reached past him and slammed the door. "Go." He snapped at the driver. With a squeal of gears they were on their way. Youji snuck a glance at Aya and immediately knew it had been a mistake. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the way the soft curls of his hair caressed his face and neck. Manx had done her job well, maybe a little _too_ well. They were supposed to blend into the crowd, but with how Aya had been transformed he knew not a single man would be able to take their eyes off him. "Stop staring." Aya muttered.

"I can't help it." Youji replied honestly. "You're beautiful." Aya rolled his eyes and turned away from him. That's when Youji realized that something important was missing. "Aya, where's your katana?" Aya rolled his eyes.

"Where do you think?" He turned to the blonde angrily.

"I-"

"Its back at the Koneko because I don't have a way to conceal it in this damn costume. Use your brain for once." He turned back to the window fuming silently.

* * *

Obviously the damn blonde hadn't been listening to a word Manx had said. Aya was to go in unarmed and be bait with Youji as his only backup. That was his protest, not the fact that he had to wear a dress, he'd worn worse on missions before. It was the fact that he couldn't have any weapons. He felt naked without one, not to mention vulnerable and yes, although he'd never admit it out loud, scared. Terrified really. What if he got separated from Youji. He had zero mobility in the dress and he was wearing heels that were a bitch to get off because of the ribbons that tied them to his legs. How was he supposed to defend himself? He shivered slightly as a cold breeze slid over his back. He had a feeling everything was going to go horribly wrong tonight.

They arrived at the gala ten minutes late, which was, Manx had told them, a fashionable thing to do. Aya slid his arm through Youji's and tried not to hold on too tightly. If his lover knew how scared he really was things would not go smoothly. As they stepped into the huge ballroom he felt an enormous amount of eyes on him and suppressed a shudder of revulsion. This was the first time since joining the Weiss team that he'd had to dress up like this. When he'd been on Shido's team almost a year ago he'd had to do this a lot...only worse.

Aya clenched his jaw then forced a smile as their hosts greeted him and his partner. Adelbert Forsythe and his wife Lavinia were from Great Britain. They were also Youji's targets. The plan was for Youji to let slip that Aya was only fifteen, a boy, and his most prized possession...making the swordsman a vulnerable target for the pair of human slave traffickers. They wouldn't hesitate to try and snatch him from under the blonde's nose.

"A boy you say?" Lavinia smiled, her eyes sparking with desire as she looked Aya up and down. "He is quite breathtaking, Koyama-san." His stomach rolled as Adelbert also looked him over appreciatively.

"The star of my collection." Youji boasted stroking the side of Aya's face. The redhead looked up into the taller man's green eyes. The love he saw there helped to steady his nerves.

"I'm pleased we were introduced." Adelbert's slimy voice made Aya want to gag, but he carefully schooled his features to reflect nothing of his inner turmoil as he forced himself to smile at the British couple. "I do hope you enjoy the Gala, Koyama-san, and here is a pass to the after party." Youji took the card offered him with a slight bow. "We must greet our other guests, but I do hope to see you there...it will definitely be worth your while." Aya kept his smile as he also bowed to the couple. Lavinia smiled at him as she took her husband's arm.

"Please bring this lovely morsel with you, Koyama-san. I do so love to look at him."

"Of course, Lady Forsythe." Youji smiled. The couple walked away to mingle with their guests. "God, they're disgusting." Youji muttered under his breath with a frown.

"Stay in character." Aya whispered through his fake smile, looking up at him. Kudou nodded before plastering a happy expression across his face. "And remember not to drink anything they give you." Youji laughed like Aya was being foolish then looked to his left as music began to play.

"It is now time for the dance portion of this program." The blonde took Aya by the hand and led him towards the dance floor where many couples were already whirling about. The swordsman took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Hopefully his partner already knew how to waltz.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Aya felt like heaven in his arms. It had been a while since the smaller man had let Youji hold him like this. The blonde smiled down at his lover, but the smile he got in return was fake. An emotionless curve of the lips and nothing more. In a way it reminded him of looking at a doll; beautiful on the outside, but empty on the inside. He had been trying to pull the redhead out of his shell since they'd met and every time he saw a glimpse of who Aya could be it was gone in the next moment. It was frustrating in more ways than one. Emotionally because it was taking a lot of effort on his part to be understanding and sexually because they hadn't done more than kiss a few times since the night they'd had sex a month ago.

As the song they were dancing to ended they pulled apart and bowed, then Youji took Aya's hand and they left the dance floor. The swordsman's smile was still in place as they moved through the crowd of people and Youji wondered how he could do it. So far Aya was better at staying in character than he was. It made the blonde wonder about his past. The younger man seemed to be more comfortable in disguise than he was in his own skin. What had happened to Aya to make him like this? Most of the time he seemed to be devoid of all emotion. It was only on rare occasions that Youji saw any spark of life in the swordsman. He knew about what had happened to Aya on his old team, but before that he hadn't a clue and Aya never spoke of the past. There were days when he wouldn't speak at all and Youji knew it wasn't because of what Shido had done. There was more to it than that.

"Koyama-san!" Youji turned to find the hosts of the Gala waving at him. Lavinia was smiling brightly, it was she who had called to him. He led Aya over to where they stood with a few other beautiful people. "Isn't this little one divine!" She exclaimed taking Aya's other hand. "You _must _tell me his name." Lady Forsythe gushed as the others nodded in agreement, their eyes devouring every inch of the swordsman's petite frame.

"Hissori." Youji replied.

"I've never heard that name before." Lavinia frowned prettily. "Does it have a special meaning?"

"It means quiet or silent in my language." Youji stroked the side of Aya's face silently willing the younger man to remain calm. He could sense the tension coming off of him in waves, although his smile remained in place. "When he came to live with me he had no name, and was unable to speak. The man he lived with before was rather brutal."

"Oh, the poor dear!" Lavinia gasped. "Does he understand what we are saying?" Youji drew a blank. Was Aya's character supposed to know English? He glanced down at the redhead, who shook his head very slightly.

"No, unfortunately, and I'm afraid he still doesn't speak." Suddenly Aya flinched and pulled his hand from Lavinia's.

"Oh! I'm sorry. My wedding band must have got turned around again and hurt his hand. Do tell him I apologize." Lavinia gasped. Youji looked down at Aya.

"Daijyoubu?" He asked quietly. The swordsman's eyes met his and Youji was shocked to see fear in them. Aya mouthed a word at him.

"Is he alright?" Lavinia asked. Something in her voice made the blonde look up. Her facial expression was one of concern, but there was a look in her eyes that was almost predatory. Aya's hand tightened on his arm. Youji looked back down at him and swore silently as the smaller man collapsed against him. His eyes were glazed and Youji could hear that he was having a hard time breathing.

"I think the crowd is too much for him." Youji frowned, putting an arm around the redhead's waist to support him. "Do you have a quiet room where I could take him?"

"Of course!" The British woman exclaimed. "Follow me." Youji half carried Aya, ignoring the tugs on his sleeve, as he walked after her. He followed her into a room just off the main party area. Youji forced a struggling Aya to sit on one of the couches in the room and put a hand to the smaller man's forehead. His skin was like ice. What the hell had the bitch given him? "I will have one of the servers bring a blanket and some refreshments for you, Koyama-san." Lavinia smiled then placed a hand on Aya's bare shoulder. "Take as much time as you need Hissori-kun." Youji had to clench his jaw to keep from yelling at her to fuck off. As soon as she left the room Aya grabbed Youji's collar and dragged him down.

"Trap." The swordsman hissed. "Get...us...out." Youji gasped, finally understanding why Aya had been trying to stop him from leaving the main floor. He swore loudly when Aya went limp in his arms. Why the hell had he ignored Aya's protests? How could he have been so stupid? He laid Aya down on the couch and ran to the door...locked. He swore again and raced to the window. Just as he reached it smoke began pouring through the vents. Youji grabbed a nearby chair and threw it through the window. When he looked back at the couch Aya was gone. The blonde stared in shock at the empty floor where the couch had been then began to cough as he inhaled the smoke that was beginning to surround him. The only thing he could do was leave through the broken window. He climbed out onto the ledge outside the window then used his wire to get to the ground. Guests were racing from the building in a panic. Youji coughed into his sleeve as he followed them. Without Ken and Omi there was no way in hell he'd be able to save Aya on his own. Tears burned at his eyes. How could he have been so stupid? Once he'd gotten a block away he pulled out his secure phone and made one of the hardest phone calls of his life.

* * *

Aya woke to darkness and knew he had been caught. The material of the blindfold was rough against his face. His wrists were handcuffed above his head and he was kneeling on the floor. He almost gasped in surprise as the blindfold was ripped from his face. Adelbert Forsythe crouched in front of him, a grin on his face. "It is such a pleasure to see you again...Ran Fujimiya." Aya felt his blood run cold. He lifted his eyes slowly to meet the other man's gaze. How did...his eyes widened in terror as he saw the man standing behind Adelbert.

"No!" He whispered and began to struggle against his bonds. Reiji Takatori laughed.

"Yes, Ran." The old man smirked. "I'm alive."

"No!" Aya screamed, trying to lash out with his feet as Takatori grabbed him by the chin. Chains clinked as his legs refused to cooperate. He settled for spitting in the bastard's face. His reward was a hard slap across the face that busted his lip and made his vision dim.

"It seems you have forgotten your manners, Fujimiya-kun." Takatori sighed. "Koyama-san must not discipline you at all." Aya gritted his teeth and stared at the floor. To look up now or speak would only earn him another blow. He tried to control the panic rising in his chest. Where was Youji? How could he have let them capture him? Was he dead? A rough hand gripped his hair and forced him to look up. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath through his nose before opening them again. Takatori sneered down at him. He'd gotten older, but his face was almost unchanged...the same face Aya saw in his nightmares. He shuddered as Takatori's mouth covered his and refused to open his mouth. Takatori pulled away and hit him again. This time Aya blacked out.

* * *

Omi stared at his computer screen and tried desperately not to cry. There was no way to get into the Forsythe's secure compound now that the Gala was over, not without getting caught. He could hear Ken and Youji arguing and yelled at them to be quiet. "I can't concentrate with you shouting like that." Ken immediately shut up, but Youji was another story.

"I only left him for a minute, How was I to-"

"You shouldn't have left him at all!" Omi snapped. "Now shut up so I can figure out how to save him. He's been alone in there for almost an hour and you _know_ what kind of people he's with." The teen turned back to his computer as silence reigned in the surveillance van. His fingers flew over the keys as he tried to find a way into the compound's security system. Just when he was about to give up hope he found a weakness. If he overloaded the power in the transformer near the back wall of the property it would short out the electricity in a twelve block radius. The only problem with this plan was that they would lose the element of surprise. They would be ready for them if they cut the power. Omi sighed and filed the idea under Plan D, then got back to work.

* * *

When Aya woke the second time he was alone in a dark room. Panic flared in his chest as he realized what was coming next. Jets of freezing water hit him from behind and he had to bite his lip to keep from crying out. This had been Takatori's favorite game and one Aya _hated_. He would hang Aya from a chain on the ceiling of a room made entirely from stone and that had no lighting. He would then close the door and shoot water at him from random directions at random intervals. The pressure of the water left deep bruises and had dislocated both his shoulders the last time Takatori had done it.

Aya felt his body beginning to tremble as the water stopped. He ground his teeth and braced himself as best he could, but the next jet hit him in the chest and knocked the breath from his lungs. He heard a loud rip as the dress he wore was torn from his body. He closed his eyes and blocked out the pain and humiliation, focusing on a way to escape. He'd had no weapons from the start, but Manx had said something about a girl's best friend...what was it? His eyes flew open and he gasped...the pins in his hair! The swordsman struggled to get his legs under him.

Luckily for him, the rules of Takatori's game ensured that only his wrists were chained. He grimaced in pain as he pulled himself into a standing position. His fingers were numb so it was difficult to feel for the pins. Just as he was about to pull one out a jet of water hit him in the side and he felt a rib crack. He clenched his jaw against the pain and ripped the pin from his hair. It took almost five minutes to get the first lock open and another ten for the second. His body shook violently as he finally collapsed against the floor and began crawling towards the wall.

It felt like hours had passed before he finally found the door. The lock was a simple thing to pick. He took a deep breath and slipped out of the room as soon as the current jet stopped spraying. Just outside the room was a man standing with his back to the door. Aya grabbed the knife he saw sticking out of the man's boot and used it to slit the bastard's throat. He then removed the man's clothes and weapons before shoving him into the room he'd just vacated.

The clothes were too big for him and they reeked of tobacco, but they were warm. That was all that mattered to Aya really. The swordsman grabbed up the weapons he'd liberated and took stock. Two pistols, one silencer, a boot knife, three extra magazines for the silenced pistol, and for some strange reason a grenade. Aya set the smaller pistol aside. Since it had no silencer and less ammo it was useless to him. He set off down the hall, his stockinged feet virtually silent on the marble floor.

Two guards came around the corner ahead of him at a run. Aya shot them both in the head before relieving them of their weapons. He then snatched up one of their radios and, after putting in the ear piece, took off at a run. Voices crackled in his ear then a voice asked for everyone to check in. Aya stopped and listened as each man said their name and position. From what he could understand there were three guards in the basement, ten on the first floor, and twenty on the second. That meant that there were 33 guards left that he had to kill.

* * *

Ken watched the compound carefully. A moment ago he could have sworn he'd seen gunfire, but now there was nothing. The lights on the second floor were all off, and they'd heard on the radio that all the important people had gone to sleep. The brunette glanced at his watch, 3:23 am. In another seven minutes Omi was going to overload the transformer and they would begin their assault. Aya couldn't wait any longer.

* * *

Fourteen down nineteen more to go. Aya raced down the hall of the second floor and took out the three guards outside his targets' bedroom then kicked the doors open. Lavinia screamed as her husband's head exploded and his corpse collapsed on top of her. The swordsman walked up to the side of the bed and put the barrel of his gun in her mouth. "Takatori." He rasped. "Where?" She shook her head trying to speak around the gun. Aya pulled it out.

"Gone!" She gasped. "He left an hour ago saying he'd be back for you in the morning. Oh God please don't k-" Aya pulled the trigger and felt blood spatter his face as the woman's features disappeared.

"Targets eliminated." The redhead's voice cracked, but he managed to keep it together. Takatori was gone. His revenge was unfinished. He bit his lip to keep from screaming. Anger burned white-hot in his chest as he spun on his heel and exited the room. He would hunt that man to the ends of the earth for what he'd done. No. Aya shook his head, he couldn't think about that right now. He had to find Youji.

When he ran into the next group of guards he killed all but one. After a painful interrogation the man told him that the man named Koyama had escaped the smoke trap and disappeared. Aya stared at the guard in disbelief...Youji had left him behind. In his distraction he let the guard get away, but it didn't matter. The swordsman slowly got to his feet and headed towards the stairs.

The last thing he remembered before waking up in the basement was passing out in Youji's arms. He didn't know why the man had left him behind and he couldn't help but feel betrayed. Aya wouldn't have left Youji no matter what. He would never have left the building without doing everything he could to make sure that his friend was safe. Didn't Youji love him? He said he did...he'd also promised to keep him safe...so why? Tears burned his eyes. Aya wiped them away angrily, smearing the blood on his face. Youji had a lot to answer for.

* * *

Ken stood next to Omi as the teen got ready to overload the transformer. A scratching sound at the wall and shouting voices made him turn. He looked up to see a small figure with red hair swinging a leg over the top of the stone wall. _Aya._ He grabbed Omi's shoulder. Omi turned and gasped. Gunfire erupted on the other side of the wall. Ken swore as Aya fell from the wall to land in a heap at the base. "Get the van." Ken shouted to Omi as he raced towards their friend. When the brunette got to him, Aya was struggling to get up. He was dressed in black clothes that hung loosely on his small frame and was breathing heavily. "Aya!" Ken pulled the smaller man into his arms and turned him over. The swordsman's face and neck were covered in blood and his hair was drenched, but from blood or water Ken couldn't tell. He got to his feet and ran to the van as it pulled up to the curb near him.

"Aya!" Youji cried as he threw open the door. Ken handed the swordsman to him before climbing in and yelling for Omi to go. As he got into his seat Aya suddenly shoved at Youji and fell to the floor at the brunette's feet. Ken carefully lifted the injured man onto his lap. Youji began to cry. Ken rolled his eyes and began checking Aya's injuries. He was sure there was a bullet wound or two, but as he ran his hands over the jacket the swordsman wore he found no holes.

"They...missed." Aya whispered.

"Then what's all the blood from?" Ken asked, wiping some from the smaller man's cheek.

"Them." Aya rasped, laying his head against Ken's shoulder.

"Oh." The brunette frowned. "Anything broken?" The redhead nodded. "Shit, where?"

"Few ribs...left arm."

"We're almost to the hospital." Omi called from the driver's seat. "Hang on Aya!" The swordsman grunted noncommittally. Ken carefully moved Aya's broken arm onto his chest then kept his hands away from the smaller man's rib area. A thought occurred to him as they sped up to the emergency room doors, even though Aya didn't seem to be bleeding from any external wounds that didn't mean there weren't any _internal_ ones.. As he carried Aya into the hospital and laid him on the stretcher he asked the nurses to check for internal bleeding. They just nodded and wheeled the redhead away. Ken walked with Youji and Omi into a waiting room then called Manx.


End file.
